Plans for Tyler time capsule move forward

Fifty years from now, a new generation will get a glimpse of what Tyler was like in 2014.

That glimpse will come via a time capsule that is planned for the downtown parking garage. The project is under construction at Elm Street and Broadway Avenue, with an expected June completion.

Main Street Department Leader Beverly Abell said a time capsule committee has met and will ask partners for contributions. The list of partners, she said, includes Historic Tyler, Inc., Tyler ISD, the Smith County Historical Society, the city of Tyler, Smith County and the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, but will include several others.

Although it is unknown at this time what will be placed in the time capsule, she said, ideas so far include some art, possibly the first receipt from the parking garage, newspaper copies, music recordings, video and brochures.

Research also is being done on appropriate containers for time capsules, and she and an architect are discussing possible locations within the parking garage site, Ms. Abell said.

She said having a time capsule appears to be a traditional thing and showcases the watershed moments that have occurred over a time period.

“The biggest discussion has been how to store things,” she said, adding that certain technology, such as flash drives, may not be usable 50 years from now.

It “is a real challenge for this committee to decide how we are going to store that information,” she said.

She said she believes the goal is for time capsule installation to occur at the same time that the parking garage is completed.

Ms. Abell said the time capsule committee can’t accept items from the public, but community members are welcome to email ideas to gallerymainstreet@tylertexas.com.